“Good morning, ma’am. I’m sorry to interrupt you at this early hour. I’m Agent Russell Pearce from the Secret Service. May I come in?” he asked politely, reaching into his pocket to remove his false ID. “There’s an urgent matter of a confidential nature we should discuss, ma’am. It involves the senator.”
Sela’s eyebrows lowered as she peered through the glass of the outer door to get a closer look at his identification. She didn’t open the door or offer to let him in, but thumbed the lock to make sure it was closed. As she was looking at his badge, she noticed a man sitting in a car on the opposite side of the street who appeared to be watching them with keen interest. She knew for certain this was no Secret Service vehicle. A disquieting sensation stirred caution within her; something was grossly wrong with the situation. She suspected this imposing and neatly dressed man standing on her porch was anything but a Secret Service agent.
“So, tell me, Agent Pearce,” she began, composing herself, “is that your partner sitting in the car across the street?”
“Why, yes, it is, ma’am,” Sully replied, sensing a guarded cautiousness from his quarry and suspecting she would not be long fooled by his ruse. He needed to quickly move their conversation off the porch and behind closed doors. “Is there a problem?”
“Well, yes, Agent Pearce, or whatever your name is…there is a very big problem,” Sela answered, taking control of the situation, relying on her customary directness and intolerance of people wasting her time. She knew that in any situation there is a tipping point where a more dominant person can seize the power of the moment and control the outcome. She meant to use this knowledge to bully this large man standing in her doorway.
“First of all, I know a thing or two about the Secret Service and I know for certain both agents would be making contact with me if you were for real. Second, that’s not a vehicle belonging to the Secret Service,” she said, pointing across the street to the car Marlon sat in. “And last, please tell me you don’t really expect me to fall for that fake ID. It’s very good, by the way, but it’s missing the iridescent watermark that makes government badges impossible to counterfeit. Why don’t you stop this ridiculous charade and tell me why you’re really here?”
Sully was nonplussed. He couldn’t believe how quickly she saw through his gambit. It was clearly evident he had grossly underestimated the gullible nature of the good doctor. He could easily overpower her, but intrinsically reluctant to hurt a woman unless absolutely necessary, he decided to come at her from a different direction.
“Ma’am, I must apologize again…you’ve seen right through me…you’re quite right. I’m neither a Secret Service agent, nor am I employed by the government,” he replied, placing his hands together in front of his chest as if praying. “I’ve been sent here by Ben Dare, the senator’s chief of staff, to solicit your cooperation in answering a few questions,” he continued, grabbing a name he gleaned from the dossier of information compiled on the woman. “I’m not at liberty to discuss the particulars, but trust you’ll believe that it could be very embarrassing for your father. Now if you’ll kindly invite me inside, I’ll wait for you to finish getting ready.”
“So, Ben Dare sent you, huh? Your story gets more interesting by the minute. I just spoke to Ben yesterday, as a matter of fact…and he said nothing whatsoever about any urgent matter. I’ll just call Ben’s cell phone and we’ll get straight to the bottom of this. You stay right there, mister,” Sela said forcefully, slamming her door shut.
But she was too late. Sully deftly elbowed the outer glass door, shattering the glass, and reached inside to release the lock. Once opened, he rammed his shoulder forcefully against the main door and burst inside. Sela was forced backward sharply as the door swung open, barely catching herself from falling as she hit the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. Sully quickly closed the door behind him.
“Dr. Coscarelli, I don’t want to hurt you but I’m prepared to do that if you don’t cooperate. Please, ma’am, let’s keep this civil.”
“How dare you talk to me about being civil! ” Sela yelled, holding her arms across her body, terrified to move another step. She had no idea what this imposing man was capable of, but chose to stand her ground as best she could. “You falsely present yourself as a federal agent, pretend to be sent here by Ben Dare, and then force your way into my home under pretext that my father needs help…and you want my civility? I don’t know who raised you, mister, but your behavior is anything but civil,” she scolded, giving her best impression of a woman undeterred by her grave circumstances.
“Ma’am, you have every right to be upset. I’m amazed you’re taking this so calmly; most people would be hysterical. But please understand me-I’ve been sent here to take you to an undisclosed location for an indefinite amount of time, and will do so…forcibly, if necessary. You have no choice in the matter,” he said calmly, holding his suit jacket open so she could see the gun he was carrying. “The man outside is a pilot. You will accompany us, and I would prefer you do that without coming to any harm. Do we understand each other, Doctor?”
“Yes, Mr. Pearce, you’re very clear. But God help you and whomever you’re working for. You’re kidnapping the daughter of a United States senator. This is a very serious matter. My father won’t rest until all of you are behind bars,” she said, shaking her head and hoping to make a strong enough case to somehow change this man’s mind.
“Ma’am, believe me…I completely understand the gravity of the situation. No doubt your disappearance will spark a nationwide search. You’re a valuable scientist. But none of that is my concern, nor should it be yours. Now, if you’ll kindly get yourself ready, we have a plane to catch.”
Sully Metusack knew he was speaking with false bravado. He cared more about his involvement in the abduction of Sela Coscarelli than he was willing to admit. He suspected that kidnapping her would unleash a maelstrom of media attention rivaling the disappearance of Rockefeller’s son. There would be far-reaching ramifications from the action that he and Marlon were undertaking-no telling where it would end.
I sure hope Kilmer knows what he’s doing, he thought, or Dr. Coscarelli’s remark about needing ‘God’s help’ may turn out to be a colossal understatement.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
08:00 HOURS
Captain Eduardo Suarez did a masterful job skirting the powerful surge of Hurricane Hannah lashing across the Caribbean Sea, having sailed Jurassic to Nassau, several hundred miles beyond its angry path. The only inconvenience throughout the voyage was the unusually high surf, but the ship’s million-dollar stabilizers dampened the full effects of the turbulent wave action. The storm eventually lost most of her force crossing the Gulf of Mexico, and before making landfall the hurricane had been reduced to a category three storm.
After spending a night in Nassau at his luxurious beachfront estate, Alastair Holloway re-boarded Jurassic and directed Captain Suarez to sail to his berth in South Carolina, an order the captain was most eager to obey. He was prepared to disembark the beautiful yacht for the last time, having reached his threshold of tolerance for Holloway’s abusive behavior, but hadn’t yet heard if he would make good his threat to fire everyone following the voyage. In any case, his last command of the ship was mostly tolerable, whatever happened next. Upon docking, the crew was busily stowing gear, securing the vessel, and making final preparations for everyone to disembark. It promised to be a gorgeous day on Hilton Head Island.
“How long will we be staying?” Angelina Navarro asked, while carelessly stuffing her belongings into an oversized suitcase that, when standing, looked like a small refrigerator. “Should I take everything, or will we be coming back to the ship?”